Recipe: Restaurant-Style Thick Clam Chowder

RESTAURANT-STYLE THICK CLAM CHOWDER

"In this recipe, the potatoes do not act as a thickener. They are cooked separately and added as garnish. The chowder is thickened instead with a roux. Because of that, you may substitute low-starch potatoes, such as red or white new potatoes, for the medium-starch potatoes specified."

For equipment, you will need an 8-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid (for steaming open the clams), a fine-mesh strainer, a small pot (for cooking the potatoes), a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot (for the chowder), a slotted spoon, a wooden spoon and a ladle.

8 pounds live clams in their shells
1 pound Yukon gold or other all- purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 ounces slab (unsliced) bacon, rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice; or four slices of thick bacon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/3-inch dice
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 dried bay leaves
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup clam broth or bottled clam juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher or sea salt if needed
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream (or up to 2 cups if desired)
FOR GARNISH:
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

Scrub the clams and rinse clean. Steam them open (see directions in story on this page). Strain the broth; you should have 4 cups of clam broth (and 1 pound of clams). Cover the clams with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated. After they have cooled a bit, dice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Cover again and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Put the diced potatoes in a small pot and cover with lightly-salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through but still firm. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and reserve.

Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp and golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot, and reserve until later.

Add the butter and garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds, then add the onions, celery, thyme, oregano and bay leaves. Saut?, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 8 minutes, until the onions and celery are soft, but not browned.

Reduce the heat to low, sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and herbs, and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sticking becomes a problem; do not let the pan scorch.

Add 1 cup of the reserved clam broth and stir vigorously with the wooden spoon, loosening any flour that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. As soon as the broth thickens and bubbles, add another cup of broth. At this point, the mixture will be very thick and pasty. Allow the broth to thicken each time before you add more broth.

After you have incorporated all the reserved broth and the additional 1 cup, add the Worcestershire sauce and season to taste with Tabasco and black pepper. (It is unlikely that any salt will be needed.) Let the broth simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Add the cooked bacon and potatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the clams and heavy cream.

If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.

WHEN READY TO SERVE:
Reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Ladle into cups or bowls, making sure that the pieces of clam, potatoes, onions and bacon are evenly divided. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and chives.

Makes 10 cups (serves 10 to 12 as a first course)
Source: 50 Chowders by Jasper White